Cambodia’s Senate President Hun Sen has publicly condemned a campaign led by real estate figure KO1 to burn Thai products, calling the act “unpatriotic and extremist” amid rising tensions over cross-border trade.

 

The controversy erupted after KO1 staged protests at PTT petrol stations, where Thai goods were collected and set alight, with footage shared widely on social media. Hun Sen responded on Monday with a sharply worded statement, accusing KO1 of undermining national values and urging him to abandon the campaign.

 

“Burning Thai goods and insulting sellers who still have Thai stock is not patriotism—it’s extremism,” Hun Sen wrote. He added sarcastically that if KO1 had the means, he should buy the remaining goods and turn them into animal feed.

 

While acknowledging that many Cambodians are already boycotting Thai imports, Hun Sen insisted that leftover stock should be sold off, not destroyed, and warned traders against misleading consumers by disguising new imports as old stock.

 

He called for a shift in focus: “We must work together to promote and purchase locally made products to support Cambodia’s economic growth.”

 

The incident comes amid a broader ban on Thai goods and a closed land border between the two countries. Yet Thai products continue to appear in Cambodian markets, prompting questions about how they are entering the country. Yang Peou, Secretary-General of the Royal Academy of Cambodia, suggested they may be arriving via ports or through neighbouring Laos.

 

Peou stopped short of commenting directly on KO1’s actions but stressed the importance of tackling illegal imports and boosting domestic production. “Now is the time for people to start supporting national and locally made goods,” he said, warning that failure to do so could harm Cambodia’s economy and morale.

 

He urged authorities to investigate the flow of goods and enforce trade regulations more strictly, noting that illegal imports not only bypass customs but also erode public confidence in local products.

 

As tensions simmer, the episode highlights deeper issues in Cambodia–Thailand relations and the challenges of balancing patriotism with economic pragmatism.

 

 

 

-2025-10-24

On 10/24/2025 at 10:22 AM, geovalin said:

“Burning Thai goods and insulting sellers who still have Thai stock is not patriotism—it’s extremism,” Hun Sen wrote.

 

Nice that he's making an effort to calm things down. There's a lot of crazy stuff done by extremists on both sides.

And another Dumb*** stood up to make some noise.

Can someone shut him up?!